(Photo courtesy of TPC Myrtle Beach)The 18th hole at the TPC Myrtle Beach is one of many challenges top juniors will face in the Dustin Johnson World Junior Tournament.

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (January 30, 2018) -- TPC Myrtle Beach, a Founders Group International golf course, is preparing to challenge some of the best junior golfers in the world. The third annual Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Tournament is set for February 22-25, 2018.

Johnson's goal was to simulate a real life professional Tour event, giving the kids a feeling of what it is like to compete for a major championship. TPC Myrtle Beach, previously home to the Senior PGA Tour Championship, was designed to host Tour-level events, forcing players to test their ability against a difficult 18-hole, par 72 professional course.

TPC Myrtle Beach was awarded five stars by Golf Digest, making it one of the highest-rated courses in South Carolina.

"We take pride in offering tournament conditions year-round," said Matt Daly, head golf professional at TPC Myrtle Beach. "But there's still some pressure. Well, more excitement than pressure. We put a lot of pride in putting forward a great experience for not only the players, but for the spectators as well. We're excited."

The invitational event is for boys and girls ages 13 to 18. The junior golfers will see their names on their lockers, placards on the range, and live scoring throughout the course, giving them an experience similar to what World Champion Dustin Johnson has on Tour.

Creating that experience takes a lot of work, including lining up the tour favors for the players, filling out the roster of 100 volunteers, and attracting sponsors. As it nears, course superintendents will scrutinize greens speeds, how heavy they want the rough, and the tee and hole locations.

The field is just about finalized. The last two spots will be filled at the last qualifier at Wild Wing Plantation Golf in Conway, S.C., on February 10.

"You get to meet so many good kids. It's hard to call them kids because they're so polished," said Daly. "Their character and the appreciation they show makes it worth any work we put into to the tournament. We're looking forward to seeing it grow year after year. You'll definitely see some of these kids on the Tour."